Marion: Compensation awards, as Legalexpert states, is based on the seriousness of the injuries. The attorney prepare a summary of the effect of the injuries as pertaining to the victims liftime. For instance if a 16 year old has a botched spinal surgery and is left a paraplegic he has 70-80 years of lost wages (a ggod case may be that he aspired to be a brain surgeon...), with the potential of lost wages alone in the millions. Add to that the cost of his care for the next 70-80 years, the emotional damage and pain and suffering as to the injury and change in lifestyle. Sometimes millions seem like a small amount in terms of the individuals future and the damage done...